Dirty Mirror
by thoughtcrimes
Summary: "Everyone in your life is there for a reason. Daddy was here and made us stronger, you hear?" I pull back the slightest and look into her little brown eyes, my head nodding in assurance. I don't have the emotional stability at this point to talk about Ed; it's too soon. "Now come on, let's head off to bed." (Exploration of emotions throughout Daryl/Carol's POV. Caryl later on.)


_A/N: This isn't going to necessarily follow canon in the sense that Sofia won't turn as soon as she did in the show, plus some other little details. I did this so I wasn't writing a detailed version of what happened on TV; because, hey! This is FanFiction for a reason, is it not?_

_Also – I am aware that there are grammatical mistakes; they're done with the purpose of portraying a southern accent. (Well, most of them!)_

_This is my first Walking Dead fic and I'm hoping to add something to the Caryl community, so woohoo~_

_Let me know what you think of this bugger in a review or PM – that'd help me loads._

_I own nothing that has to do with AMC's The Walking Dead and have no affiliation with the actors/actresses or the comic series. If I did, I wouldn't be here writing about them, now, would I?_

* * *

A dusty mirror will have to do the trick for now. I gently skim my hands up and around the small of my torso, a yellowish hue taking the purple's place – means it's healing a bit.

Ed's been gone a few days day and I can't help but still feel him around me, even despite my bruises and sore limbs. I sit and wait for him to come bursting into the room, whiskey on his tongue and me on his mind; but that just hasn't happened yet.

I should feel relieved, I really should; 'should look on the bright side - but no. Sofia and I are in an RV with some people during a terrible, ineffable crisis and I can't defend myself for nothin'.

My little girl. My little girl and I surrounded by terrors we never thought imaginable. My young, impressionable little girl in the midst of hell.

Hm. That has a ring to it.

I take a seat at the RV's dining table (the mirror had been on the opposite side of the table, I just had to stand 'cause if I sat I wouldn't a been able to inspect the bruises) and play with the rim of a plastic cup full a water, my gaze soon averting to the grouping of people outside. Lori and Carl playing a game from what I can see, Rick talking with Daryl and Glenn, and Andrea having her ear talked off by Dale.

Where's Sofia?

As if on cue, little Sofia trots into the RV with a tousle in her hair – probably from playing with Carl earlier. She takes a seat next to me and leans her little head on my shoulder, her curious brown eyes looking into mine. I can tell she has something on her mind, but she doesn't say a word (most likely 'cause I look like I've been doing some thinking' myself). I run my lithe fingers through her dirty blonde locks, a somewhat content sigh leaving my lips.

Before I have time to start an idle conversation with her, Lori walks up the two steps of the RV and peeps her head in to tell me it's about time to start on dinner with her. I kiss Sofia on the head and follow the little one to the campfire.

Daryl walks up and unceremoniously puts a few squirrels on a fold out table (with a disposable table cloth for sanitary purposes) in order to…do whatever he does with his catches. He does what he needs to do and gives Lori and I a curt nod before heading off to talk with Rick and Shane about something.

The dinner's served about forty or so minutes after Daryl leaves and everyone gathers around the campfire to get their small meals. Lori prepares the plates and I hand them out to everyone before sitting down with mine.

We all engage in some conversation and everyone finishes rather quickly, except Dale. (He's a bit of a slow eater, we've all noticed.)

I clean up with Lori and Andrea and shortly retire to Sofia and I's camper for the night. It's recently been light despite the early hours (ah, summer), but that doesn't affect my sleep schedule.

You'd be surprised how much of a toll that laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, watching over Sofia, and chit chatting can do to my energy level.

I button up my cardigan in an effort to keep warm, thanks to the chilly nights, and slide into my navy sleeping bag next to Sofia. I lay my head down onto my crossed arms and look up at the top of the camper, my thoughts headed to Ed and the axe once more. Daryl, even—

"Mommy?"

I pause just as the two men enter my mind and turn onto my side to look at my daughter, a warm smile etching itself onto my features.

"Yes, baby?"

"Do ya ever want to tell someone somethin' but afraid that they won't like what you wanna say?"

I pause for a moment, letting my curiosity get the best of me.

"Is there somethin' on your mind you wanna tell me?"

She falters her own self for a moment and concedes, softly nodding her head.

"Kinda."

I don't respond, just simply raise my brows in an innocent fashion as if to tell her to go on.

"I don't really miss Daddy."

I can't help but smooth my hand over her shoulder and pull her in close for a hug, my breathing calm; hers not.

"It's okay, honey." I hear her sniffle a little bit. "Everyone in your life is there for a reason. Daddy was here and made us stronger, you hear?" I pull back the slightest and look into her eyes, my head nodding in assurance. I don't have the emotional stability at this point to talk about Ed. "Now come on, let's head off to bed."

* * *

The morning sunlight peeks through the tent and my vision is blurry when I wake, having to blink a few times in order to adjust my pupils. Sofia is sound asleep and by the position of the sun I can estimate that it's about seven in the morning'. I slip out of bed, careful not to wake her, and head out to the camp in order to start breakfast.

I walk into Dale's RV and take a look through the cupboards, finding some decent looking cans that could be possible candidates for breakfast. Satisfied with my choice a few minutes later, I walk outside and greet Lori with a nice good morning. She tightly smiles in response and I falter at first, curious of her odd mood, but say nothing.

Breakfast is made, eaten, and cleaned up in about thirty or so minutes; all of us starving from the lack of food lately. (Luckily, Glenn had made a run to town just yesterday.)

I finish the dishes and wipe my hands on my pants, looking up to get a view of our group, but the view is blocked. Daryl.

"Mornin'." I chirp, hoping to conceal my off-mood by adding a smooth smile. After using Daryl's axe to blunder Ed's head in, I'd been in a weird funk. (Reasonably so.)

"Yeah," he raises a brow and leans up against the truck bed just next to where breakfast is prepared. "Just wan'ed ta say congratcha'lations. 'Bout the other day. That was pretty ballsy of ya."

I couldn't help but chuckle at Daryl's ever so amusing word choice, my mouth forming into a minuscule smile.

"Thanks. I uh—"

"Needed that." He quipped.

"Mmhm."

"I better head off ta find dinner," he quickly responds , nodding his head and turning to walk off towards the forest before I can answer.

I take a few moments longer than I should to watch him walk off; but I can't help myself, considering what he watched me do the other day to Ed.

He had watched me end my misery. Hopefully.

* * *

_Let me know what you all think, yeah? _

_Cheers. _


End file.
